What If Fat Doesn’t Need to Be "Burned"?

Everything I read on weight loss talks about needing to “burn” the fat in your fat cells in order to reduce it. This theory seems to imply that the fatty acids would never leave the fat cell unless there was an energy demand communicated to the cell.

Yet everything I read about the physiology behind fat release says that when insulin levels fall below a certain threshold, lipase is stimulated, which breaks down the triglycerides in the fat cell releasing glycerol and fatty acids into the bloodstream. Nothing I have read about the release of fatty acids mensions an energy demand being part of the process.

What if fatty acids were automatically released and were floating around in the bloodstream available for burning if energy is needed, but routed via the bile to the gut if it was not? Then it would be simply eliminated, never used, through the stool. Excess fatty acids from diet, since they would be mixed among these in the bloodstream, would be re-routed in the same way.

Fatty stools float, so could floating stool be a sign of elimination of excess, therefore "unbured" fatty acids?

Everything I read on weight loss talks about needing to “burn” the fat in your fat cells in order to reduce it. This theory seems to imply that the fatty acids would never leave the fat cell unless there was an energy demand communicated to the cell.

Yet everything I read about the physiology behind fat release says that when insulin levels fall below a certain threshold, lipase is stimulated, which breaks down the triglycerides in the fat cell releasing glycerol and fatty acids into the bloodstream. Nothing I have read about the release of fatty acids mensions an energy demand being part of the process.

What if fatty acids were automatically released and were floating around in the bloodstream available for burning if energy is needed, but routed via the bile to the gut if it was not? Then it would be simply eliminated, never used, through the stool. Excess fatty acids from diet, since they would be mixed among these in the bloodstream, would be re-routed in the same way.

Fatty stools float, so could floating stool be a sign of elimination of excess, therefore "unbured" fatty acids?

Yes, there is an energy demand, but the only thing the fat cell directly knows about is the drop in insulin levels. The fat cell has no idea whether the person is an elite athlete or in a wheelchair. In the case of the person who does not expend a lot of energy, what happens to the released fatty acids that are not used by the muscle cells? They cannot be put back in the fat cells as long as insulin levels remain low.

In the normal person, about 95% of bile is re-absorbed and the rest is excreted.

So I guess my point is that there is an assumption that every fat calorie must be burned, but I'm not so sure that is the case. I wonder if we can release stored fat calories without ever using them.

Yes, there is an energy demand, but the only thing the fat cell directly knows about is the drop in insulin levels. The fat cell has no idea whether the person is an elite athlete or in a wheelchair. In the case of the person who does not expend a lot of energy, what happens to the released fatty acids that are not used by the muscle cells? They cannot be put back in the fat cells as long as insulin levels remain low.

In the normal person, about 95% of bile is re-absorbed and the rest is excreted.

If the person is on a diet that keeps insulin consistenly low, the fat cells will release fatty acids at a consistent rate regardless of energy demand. I'm wondering what happens to the fatty acids that are not used.

If the person is on a diet that keeps insulin consistenly low, the fat cells will release fatty acids at a consistent rate regardless of energy demand. I'm wondering what happens to the fatty acids that are not used.

I very much doubt that the bolded statement is actually true. What is your basis for believing this?

Today I will: Eat food, not poison. Plan for success, not settle for failure. Live my real life, not a virtual one. Move and grow, not sit and die.

I very much doubt that the bolded statement is actually true. What is your basis for believing this?

agreed. fat is either burned or stored. it's not mobilized just cause insulin is low. you are always burning something for energy, glucose or fat. if fatty acids are present in the blood stream, they're being burned, or on their way to being stored (they can hang out a bit longer than blood sugar can).